Amusement apparatus



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. W. WHARTON, Jr. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

No. 586,983. Patented July 27,- 1897.

W itnesses.

Attorney.

( ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. ,WHARTON, Jr.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. 7

No. 586,983. Patented July 27,1897.

Inventor. W

Attorney Witnesses.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

WILLIAM WI'IARTON, JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,983, dated July 27, 1897. Application filed December 22, 1896. $erial No. 616,631. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I,WILLIAM WHARTON,J r.

'of the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to amusement apparatus especially designed to represent with realistic effect an ocean beach; and it consists of a tank or pond of considerable dimensions having a sloping beach or side and adapted to contain Water and certain clevices or apparatus used in connection therewith, as hereinafter set forth. The sloping beach I prefer to cover partially with concrete and partially with sand and pebbles. The deeper portion of the pond or tank is provided with artificial means for creating a great commotion in the water, preferably in the form of a reciprocating feathering blade or blades, which force the water toward the beach in a succession of waves or movements.

I prefer to arrange the actuating power machinery above the level of the water in the tank or pond and to connect it in a suitable manner to reciprocate or operate the waveproducers, of which there may be one or any other number desired. I prefer to operate the power devices in such a manner that provision is made for varying the speed of opera tion and also for varying the action of the pushers or blades, so that the forward motion in producing the waves is more rapid than the receding or backward motion, or Vice versa, and also for varying the speed of the pushers at different portions of their forward stroke.

It is desirable to pivot the wave-producing apparatus so that the waves may be propelled in different directions at difierent times and so that in the case of more than one wave-producing apparatus the waves may be made to cross or intercept each other. In this way a much greater variety of action and efiect can be produced than would be possible with stationary or fixed apparatus.

If desired, a painted scene maybe arranged at the distant side of the tank or pond, with a representation of the ocean at the lower part and blending into the sky at the top, so as to heighten the realistic effects. Suitable provision would be had for systematically proved apparatus.

changing the water, as is customary in any swim min g-tank, where it is necessary to keep the Water in a pure condition.

My invention Will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my im- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the wave-producing device. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation through the wave-board and its support. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view through one end of same. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a modification of the waveboard. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of waveproducing apparatus when pivoted, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of same.

A represents a tank or pond of any suitable construction, but preferably formed of concrete. At one side I arrange a sloping beach 13, which may be provided with a pocket D, into which sand 0 is placed. The pocket thus holds the sand and presents an upper surface like a sand beach. The inclined surface of the concreteadjacent to the sand is made rough, as at (1, so that the joining of the concrete with the sand shall be made as indistinct as possible.

ing the action and effect of actual ocean-' breakers. By having the botton and sides and especially the inclined or beach side of the tank or pond made of concrete there can be no wearing away or washing out of the same by the motion and dashing of the waves and breakers. This prevention of the washing out or wearing away of the beach is of the utmost importance to the safety of bathers, who can thus enjoy the pleasure and benefit of artificial surf-bathing upon a safe and permanent sloping beach with no holes or depressions in it to cause danger of their drowning.

The beach may be of such length as practicable and desirable. It should probablybe at least six hundred feet in length and at least two hundred feet distant from the waveproducers.

Situated at or near the side of the pond opposite to the beach are frames F, in which are guided tubes or rods G, connected at their outer ends by a cross-bar, to which rods are pivoted at h the feathering wave-board H. Downwardly-projecting feet G may be employed to limit the backward movement of the wave-board when it assumes a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3. The ends of the wave-board H may be formed angular, as at H, so as to provide sides which insure the water being pushed forward and prevent its ready escape laterally. This is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and t.

The wave-board may be braced or formed in any suitable manner to impart the necessary strength.

In place of using a single wave-board two or more pivoted feathering-blades may be used in a suitable frame, as indicated in Fig. 5, the principle of operation being the same. It will now be understood that as the waveboard is thrust forward toward the beach it pushes the water forward with great power, causing it to assume a wave motion and break upon the beach. Vhen the wave-board recedes, it moves about the hinge h and is pulled edgewise backward without affecting the water. Vhile the forward and backward motion may be uniform as to speed, I prefer to make the forward motion more rapid than the backward or receding motion. The power devices for operating the wave -producing board may be made in a variety of ways, one suitable construction being illustrated. Upon the ends of a horizontal shaft I are arranged cranks t', which connect with the reciprocating tubular rods G by connectingrods J. An engine M, of any construction, or other power device operates a cone-wheel L, and this transmits power by a belt or chain Z to a second cone-wheel L. By changing the adjustment of the chain or band Z on the cones L and L the wave-board may be driven at a higher or lower number of strokes per minute. The cone-wheel L is connected to the shaft I by means of cam-gear K, so arranged that a variable speed of rotation is produced in the shaft I from a uniform speed of rotation of the cone-wheel L. Other means may be employed for producing this variable speed of rotation.

By properly adjusting the cam-gear K a rapid forward motion of the wave-producing board and a slow return motion thereof can be obtained. Vith another adjustment of the cam-gear the wave-producing board will be moved slowly at the commencement of its forward stroke, and with its speed gradually increasing as it moves onward it will near the end of the forward stroke project the water with considerable impetus toward the inclined beach. By thus at the beginning of the forward stroke pushing very gently against the water and then gradually accelerating the speed of the push there is but little frothing or churning of the water and the tendency of the water to escape sidewise is much diminished.

It is to be understood that the particular minor details of construction are immaterial and may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, we have the same general construction of wave-producing devices as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the exception that in this case they are pivoted in such a manner as to exert their influence on the water in the tank or pond in different directions when shifted for that purpose. More particularly referring to the construction here shown, we have the power devices supported upon a pivoted platform or frame T, pivoted at R and connected by a downwardly-extending frame F with the frame F, which directly supports the wave-producing devices. devices proper are sustained by rollers f upon curved tracks 0, arranged upon the bottom of the tank. If the weight of the power devices is very great, the platform T also may be sustained by rollersf", running on the track 0.

To produce a rotary or oscillating motion to the wave-producing devices, Imay employ the following mechanism: A curved rack Q is secured to the ground or foundation below the platform T, which latter is provided with a pinion p, meshing with the rack Q, and a turnstile device P to rotate the pinion. It is of course evident that any suitable device may be employed to cause the oscillation of the wave-producing devices in lieu of that shown.

Vith the mechanism shown it is evident that the waves may be projected in various directions and that by employing two or more of the devices shown in Figs. 6 and 7at different parts of the same tank or pond and properly adjusting them the waves may be made to intercept and produce large dis turbanees. It is of course evident that any number of these apparatus may be arranged along the tank or pond and a great variety of effect be obtained.

The construction herein illustrated, while being excellently adapted to the purpose, may be largely modified while still maintaining the same general principles of construction and embodying the essential features of my improvements.

N is an upright scene, preferably representing an ocean View, behind which the power devices may be placed.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an artificial beach, a tank or pond filled with water and having an inclined side of small grade extending a distance below In this case the wave-producing son to walk down the inclined side.

2. A tank or pond provided with a sloping or inclined side formed of concrete or other artificial solid material having a shoulder approximately on a level with the water in the tank or pond and also furnished with abeach of sand or pebbles or both joining up to the shoulder of said solid artificial material and extending higher up the shore, in combination'with power-driven wave-producing apparatus adapted to produce a motion of the water toward and cause it to break in-breakers upon the said inclined side and beach.

3. A tank or pond provided with a sloping or inclined side extending above the waterlevel andalso provided with a raised portion or obstruction at the lower part of, and parallel to the length of the sloping or inclined side so as to be under the water-level adapted to retard the under part of a wave and to cause the upper part thereof simultaneously to comb or fall over, in combination with wave-producing apparatus arranged in the tank or pond adapted to produce a motion of the water toward the said obstruction and inclined or sloping side.

4. The combination of a tank or pond having an inclined beach extending from below to a distance above the water-level in said tank or pond, reciprocating wave-producing power apparatus adapted to force the water toward and up the inclined beach, power devices for actuating said wave-producing apparatus, and means for increasing or diminishing the speed of reciprocation of the said wave-producing apparatus.

5. The combination of a tank or pond having an inclined beach extending from below to a distance above the water-level, wave-producing apparatus adapted to force the water toward and up the'inclined beach, consisting of areciprocating feathering-board and power devices for actuating said board, and means for making the speed or velocity of the forward motion of the feathering-board faster than the speed or velocity of its receding motion.

6. The combination of a tank or pond having a sloping beach at one side extending from below to above the water-level, a long featherin g-board arranged below the water, longitu dinal guides for the feathering-board, and power devices acting upon each end of the board adjacent to its guides for imparting a simultaneous reciprocation.

7. An inclined beach formed of concrete or other artificial material with a recess or pocket at its upper portion and provided with a beach of sand or pebbles, or both, supported in the said pocket, in combination with powerdriven wave-producin g apparatus adapted to produce a motion of the water toward the said beach.

8. The combination of an inclined beach, wave-producing apparatus adapted to force the water toward and up the said beach, and means for rotating or oscillating the waveproducing apparatus so as to project the water in different directions at different times as may be desired.

9. The combination of a tank or pond having an inclined beach, wave-producing apparatus adapted to propel the water toward the said beach consisting of a long reciprocating feathering-board H provided with sides H H, longitudinal guides for said board, and power devices operating upon each end of said board for reciprocating it horizontally.

10. The combination of a tank or pond having a long raised obstruction parallel to its side and below the water-level, a wave-producing device consisting of a long feathering-board arranged parallel to the obstruction, and power devices for reciprocating the feathering-board to or from the obstruction to cause the waves produced to be forced upward and comb or break into artificial breakers.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

WM. WHARTON, J R.

WVitnesses:

J. W. KENWORTHY, ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER. 

